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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30082431">All Together Now</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeLittleInfamy/pseuds/ByTheAngell'>ByTheAngell (SomeLittleInfamy)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters Re-Watch Fics! Codas, Scene Fills, etc. [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alec and Lydia are engaged but both know it isn't romantic, Gen, Lydia Branwell &amp; Alec Lightwood Friendship, Post-Episode: s01e09 Rise Up</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 20:22:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>939</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30082431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeLittleInfamy/pseuds/ByTheAngell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lydia does her best with the situation she finds herself in, realizing that being engaged to Alec may be more difficult than she first thought.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lydia Branwell &amp; Alec Lightwood, Lydia Branwell &amp; Isabelle Lightwood, Lydia Branwell &amp; Jace Wayland</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters Re-Watch Fics! Codas, Scene Fills, etc. [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2108703</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>All Together Now</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They hate her. Lydia isn’t sure what she expected… perhaps for Alec’s siblings to at least trust his judgment, even if they don’t trust her? But that isn’t the case. Isabelle and Jace’s reactions to the engagement leave little room for interpretation. In fact, Isabelle’s declaration of “<em>it’s your life to ruin</em>” makes it very clear to Lydia what she thinks of Alec’s decision to marry her. Jace’s <em>“I don’t know what to say</em>” is only a slightly more tactful avoidance of admitting the same thing.</p><p>They don’t get it. If they did, neither of them would be making this harder on Alec than it already is, which is exactly what they’re doing whether they realize it or not. She and Alec both know this isn’t love and that this isn’t ideal for either of them. It’s making the best of a bad situation, and they’re on the same page here, but they seem to be the only ones who are. Now Lydia’s starting to realize this entire thing is going to be so much more difficult than it has to be with Alec’s entire family fighting her at every turn.</p><p>Not that she blames them - if she were them, she’d be just as protective of Alec. What they refuse to believe is that she’s being protective of him, and by extension <em>all of them</em>, in her own way. She had to pull quite a few strings to make sure Isabelle didn’t get arrested with Meliorn, and already called in a favor or two to ensure she had somewhat free reign here as Acting Head of the Institute, worried about what someone without the Lightwood’s best interests in mind would look into and accuse them of.</p><p>Lydia’s following her orders, yes, but there are many others who wouldn’t hesitate to dig deeper in hopes of finding incriminating evidence to bring back to the Clave to use as leverage for favor. <em>Especially</em> considering Maryse and Robert’s history with the Circle. Of course, she can’t tell any of this to Isabelle or Jace, not that they’d believe her even if she could. But if she explicitly admits she’s going out of her way to help them as much as her position allows, and the wrong person finds out, then the clave won’t hesitate to remove her.</p><p>Retreating to her office, Lydia sinks into the chair with a heavy sigh, closing her eyes and wishing there was anything more she could do about the whole Meliorn situation. She barely re-opens her eyes at the sound of footsteps and a quick knock on the doorframe, blinking them open just long enough to confirm it’s Alec before closing them again.</p><p>“They’ll come around,” Alec says without preamble, trying to reassure her. She doesn’t have to ask who ‘they’ are.</p><p>“I highly doubt that,” she says. “I’m sorry for the strain this is putting between you-”</p><p>“Hey, no. That isn’t your fault. I proposed to you, remember? You’re doing me the favor here. And I know it isn’t a coincidence Izzy didn’t get taken away in cuffs today, too. You did that, didn’t you?” Alec asks. Lydia’s surprised to hear a tone of… of almost awe, she thinks, though she isn’t certain. Surprise, certainly.</p><p>“I wish I could’ve done more,” she says, half-expecting Alec to not believe her, either. She wouldn’t blame him.</p><p>“You did everything you could. You did more than most would’ve,” he adds, sincerely. “Thank you.”</p><p>“You’re welcome.”</p><p>He trusts her. He sees her, and everything she’s doing, and puts his faith in the fact that she’s truly doing it for his own good as much as possible. It’s more than she hoped from him, though the more she gets to know Alec the more pleasantly surprised she finds herself.</p><p>Alec lingers just inside the doorway, and Lydia sits up a little straighter in her chair now, reading the body language of a man who isn’t sure if he wants to say whatever’s on his mind. He looks just as likely to walk inside and sit down as he does to turn and bolt, so Lydia nods towards the chair across from her and tries to give the most encouraging smile she can muster to sway him towards talking.</p><p>“What is it?” She prompts.</p><p>Alec slowly makes his way toward her, not sitting, but moving to stand closer to where she is. His hands clasp instinctively behind his back before he speaks. “I know I don’t have any right to ask you this, and I know after the way Izzy and Jace treated you you shouldn’t feel inclined to do them any favors, but-”</p><p>“You don’t have to ask, Alec. Of course, I’ll do my best to keep them out of trouble with the Clave,” Lydia promises. Her best may not be enough, not if things continue to spiral out of control, but she can still try.</p><p>For a moment Lydia’s tempted to reach out and place a comforting hand on Alec’s shoulder or even to stand up from the chair she’s in and pull him into a tight embrace. Neither feels like they’re her place, though. Maybe one day, but not quite yet. Not while they’re still feeling each other out.</p><p>Alec hesitates in a similar fashion, but only for a second before he nods in acknowledgment, then turns to leave Lydia alone in the office once more.</p><p>There’s too much on her mind for her to get any sort of proper reprieve, and her day’s barely started. Still, Lydia closes her eyes again and allows herself five minutes of quiet solitude before picking herself up and getting back to work.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>(Find me on  <a href="http://bytheangell.tumblr.com">Tumblr</a> and also on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/By_The_Angell">Twitter</a>! &lt;3 )</p></blockquote></div></div>
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